Battle Wounds
by DamonSalvatore1839
Summary: Damon witnesses a horrible crime committed by his abusive father. Now without anyone to look after them, Damon is left to look after Stefan. Three years later and still crippled by the trauma, he meets Elena, the first person to take interest in him since everything happened. Can she help him recover? Delena AU/AH Contains possibly triggering material
1. Chapter 1: Wounded Warrior

**Damon woke to a scream, which sadly wasn't unusual in his house. His father, when he wasn't passed out drunk, would regularly beat his mother, brother and him.**

**His mother would have left him, bringing them with her, but he would always threaten to kill her. When that wouldn't work, he would threaten to kill him or Stefan.**

**For some reason, though, tonights scream put a pit in his stomach.**

**He slowly got out of bed, his heart pounding in his head as he walked slowly down the stairs, begging them not to creak.**

**What he saw as he got halfway downstairs shocked him. **

**So much blood... and his mother laying on the floor, eyes wide open and staring at him. Dead. And his father standing over her with a knife.**

**Suddenly his father looked up at him, with a look that could only be described as hate.**

**Damon ran upstairs, but he caught him by the leg. "What are you doing, boy?!"**

**He held the knife to Damon, he tried to struggle and the knife ended up slashing across his left eye. **

**He screamed in pain, but it didn't stop him from pushing his father down the stairs.**

**As he tumbled down the stairs, Damon**** ran back upstairs and grabbed his cell phone, calling 911.**

**"911, what is your emergency?"**

**"My...my father, he...oh god...he killed my mother" Damon whispered through sobs.**

**"What is your address?" the lady asked.**

**"55 Dale Drive" he whispered. Then his eyes widened. Stefan.**

**After hanging up, Damon cracked his door, the coast was clear. **

**He ran to Stefan's room and woke him up.**

**"Damon? What's wrong?" he asked groggily.**

**"Shhh" Damon held his finger to his lip and motioned for Stefan to follow him, which he did-thankfully without question.**

**Once we were back in his room, he told him to just be quiet and wait, he would explain later.**

**A few minutes later the cops arrived. They cuffed up their father and took away their mother in a body bag. He told Stefan he could sleep in his bed, that he would be right back. Then Damon went to talk to the cops.**

**"Do you have any family?" they asked once they finished questioning.**

**"My baby brother. He's 11" Damon said.**

**"We will need to question him too"**

**"No. Please, he doesn't know anything, he's just a kid..." his eyes filled with tears as he trailed off.**

**The police officer nodded. "Well, if he has no legal guardian, he will have to be placed in foster care"**

**"I'm 18, well I will be, tomorrow is my birthday." he swallowed, realizing his mother wouldn't be there to celebrate with him. He quickly focused back on the task at hand. "So I can take care of Stefan. I have a job, I can handle it"**

**She nodded again. "Alright. We'll call you if we have further questions" **

**Damon nodded and closed the door, sinking down to the floor in sobs.**

* * *

><p>Damon shot up in bed, his heart racing and tears mixing with the beads of sweat on his face. He ran his hand down his face as he tried to catch his breath.<p>

That was the 878th time and counting in three years that he dreamed of that night. That's right, almost every night for three years. Always in graphic detail. Suddenly he bolted to his bathroom and threw up the contents of his dinner from the previous night.

Trembling from both the dream and puking, Damon leaned on his nightstand for support. He looked up to the mirror, taking in his appearance. For the most part he looked fine, but if you get closer, you can see the raised scar across his left eye.

Everyone makes fun of it, calls him a beast or something to that effect. Or they are scared of him, and avoid him at all costs. If only they knew the truth.

After he finally calmed down, he glanced at the clock. It was 7 am. he was going to be late for work.

Damon threw on his skinny jeans along with a black button up shirt and my biker boots. Then he knocked on Stefan's door. "Come on, baby bro. We're both gonna be late as it is, no time to sleep in today"

Damon grinned as he heard him groan and then shuffle to his dresser and then walked downstairs to make them both breakfast.

A few minutes later they were both digging into blueberry pancakes.

"Damon?" Stefan looked at him.

"Yeah?" he answered.

"Did you have another nightmare?" he asked sympathetically. I swear, sometimes the kid has bionic hearing, considering his room is at the other end of the hall.

"It's not a big deal" Damon said, more for himself than Stefan.

"What about the panic attack you had after? I heard you throwing up" he argued.

"Stop it! You have no idea what I saw or went through so don't pretend you know what you're talking about!" he snapped, but instantly felt guilty when he saw his expression.

"I'm sorry, Stefan. Look, can we just not talk about it? Please?" Damon whispered, not making eye contact.

Stefan just nodded understandingly. Damon gave him a small smile in return as he pushed away his breakfast. He wasn't that hungry anymore.

* * *

><p>Damon arrive at work just on time, lucky for him since he had to drop Stefan off at school.<p>

As usual, there were people staring at him, whispering, but no one cared enough to just come up and talk to him. Nope, he was just the weird guy with the scar. Yes, that is actually what people called him.

He noticed there was a new girl, but he didn't bother saying hello. He'd just scare her, most likely. So he walked by.

"You know most people say hello" she called after him. He stopped. She was talking to him?

He turned around. "But I get the feeling you're not most people, are you?" she continued.

He grinned and chuckled. "No. I'm not. I'm Damon" he introduced and stuck his hand out for her to shake, which she did.

"I'm Elena. Nice boots" she said, nodding at his boots.

"Oh, these?" he chuckled. "Thanks. I've had them forever."

Elena nodded and grinned, looking at him. At HIM. Not at his scar, but someone who just saw him.

"Anyways, would you like to do something after work? I get off at five?" Elena asked.

Damon stared at her, completely stunned. Who was this woman?

"I'm sorry, was I too forward?" she asked, blushing now.

"No! Not at all, it's just, I have a teenage brother and I have to pick him up from school" Damon chuckled. "But, you could come over? I can make dinner, or we can order out."

She nodded. "Great. What's your address?"

"36 April Drive. We just moved in a few months ago, actually" Damon explained.

"Really? I live at 35 April Drive" Elena said, smiling.

"No way. Wow, small world" Damon chuckled. "So, five o clock?"

She nodded. "Five o clock" she confirmed.

* * *

><p>The doorbell rang at five on the dot. "Stefan! Can you get that?" Damon yelled.<p>

"Yup" he yelled back and opened it. "Hey"

"Hey" Elena smiled. "You must be the little brother?"

"Stefan" he introduced himself with a nod.

"Elena" she introduced back. "Is Damon here?"

"Right here!" Damon came out of the kitchen.

"Hey" Elena greeted.

"I'm making Fettuccine con Carciofi, or, fettuccine with artichokes. It's an old family recipe"

"Sounds delicious. I wasn't sure what to bring, so I just brought wine" she said, getting a bottle of red wine from her large purse.

"Perfect" Damon grinned.

* * *

><p>"Mmm!" Elena exclaimed after having taken her first bite. "That is delicious!"<p>

"I know, right?" Damon and Stefan said at the same time. Elena giggled.

"You two are brothers?" she asked.

They both nodded.

"Where are your parents?" she asked.

Stefan looked down and Damon tensed. Elena could see they had both gotten upset at her question, but Damon seemed the most upset of the two. His jaw was clenched and the knuckles that he was holding his fork with were white.

"Did I say something?" Elena asked.

""We've lived alone for three years" Stefan explained. "Damon is my legal guardian. But what happened with our parents, it's a sore subject. Especially for Damon. I don't remember much."

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry" she whispered.

Damon got up and walked away, not saying a word.

Elena sighed, getting up, when Stefan stopped her. "Elena?"

She turned to look at him.

"He won't admit it, but he needs someone right now. I know you just met him but you'll learn that he's really a great person. But because of what happened, people don't give him a chance. I hope you will"

Elena grinned. "Of course I will"

Suddenly she heard crashing sounds coming from upstairs. Elena ran upstairs and followed the sounds to Damon's room. He was destroying everything and...was he crying?

"Damon" Elena called, walking closer to him. He didn't even seem to notice her. She grabbed his arms to stop him from throwing things and to get him to look at her. "Damon!" she said louder.

He looked at her, the most heartbreaking expression on his face, before breaking down into tears.

Elena wrapped him in her arms. "It's okay" she whispered.

They made their way over to the bed and lied down together. Soon they fell asleep.

* * *

><p>Elena woke up to someone tossing and turning. She looked around, where was she? Suddenly memories started to come back, she must have fallen asleep.<p>

She looked beside her. Damon was tossing and turning, mumbling incoherently. He was obviously having a nightmare.

"Damon!" she shook him gently. "Damon, it's not real. You're dreaming" she shook him harder and suddenly he woke up.

Elena thought that waking up would have helped, but he seemed to still be panicking. He was looking around everywhere frantically, tears were running down his cheeks and he looked like he couldn't breathe.

Suddenly he ran to the bathroom and threw up.

She ran after him and rubbed his back as he heaved.

He seemed to calm down after that and went back to his bed.

"I'm sorry" he said hoarsely.

"What happened, Damon?" she asked.

He looked down. "I-I can't tell you" he whispered. "Not now, at least. It's too hard"

Elena rested a hand on his shoulder. "It's okay. When you feel ready, I'll be here" she reassured him.

He looked up at her, surprised. "Really?"

"Of course" she said.

He smiled, happy tears coming to his eyes. "Thank you"

She smiled. "Do you want to go back to sleep?"

He nodded. So they laid back down and slept through til the next morning.


	2. Chapter 2: I See You

The next morning, Elena woke to the smell of waffles. Smiling, she opened her eyes. She got up and stretched before going downstairs.

"Hey" she said sleepily. "What smells so good?"

"I made breakfast as an apology for last night" he replied.

"Damon, you don't have to apologize. I mean, the night didn't go exactly as I thought it would, but..."

Damon chuckled. "That's an understatement considering I had a breakdown, followed by a nightmare, followed by a panic attack"

"I'm still here, aren't I?" she grinned comfortingly.

"Why are you still here?" he asked, placing the waffles on the table and looking up at her. He clarified when he saw her hurt expression.

"What I meant was, no one has taken an interest in me in three years. Some people make fun of my scar, but most just stay away. Especially the ones who know what happened. Every time I finally meet someone who doesn't know anything, it goes great, that is until they see me freak out like you did, or I tell them. Whichever comes first"

"That's horrible. Why would people do that?" she asked.

"I've asked myself that question too many times." he admitted. "I've finally just come to the conclusion that I'm not worth the time, the way I am now"

Elena walked over to him and raised her hand to his cheek, stroking her thumb over the scar gently. "I stayed because you're a great guy, you're handsome, funny, kind, you can cook" she chuckled. "And you are worth my time, it doesn't matter to me if you have a difficult past. All that matters is that you are a good man, and I'm not going to abandon you"

Damon grinned. "Thank you" he whispered. This girl was sincerely amazing.

She grinned back and nodded.

"We'd better dig in before the waffles get cold" Damon pointed out.

"Oh, yeah" Elena said, just realizing that.

They sat and began to eat. "So, there is a town fair today and I was hoping I could take you out to show you that I am not completely coco puffs" Damon said, smirking a bit.

"I know you're not coco puffs. But sure, I'd love to go." Elena agreed.

"Great" he said and grinned.

* * *

><p>"So, when was the last time you came here?" Elena asked as they picked at the bag of cotton candy they were sharing.<p>

"Four years ago. We would go together every year for my birthday" he swallowed as he felt a pang of sadness.

"Why don't you anymore?" she asked curiously.

"I got older, I guess" he lied.

Elena gave him a look that said she didn't buy that.

Damon sighed and changed the subject. "Do you want to go on the Ferris wheel?"

She nodded, letting it go for now. "Sure"

They waited in line for five minutes before finally getting on. When they got to the top they could see the sunset, the sunshine spreading across the trees. It was beautiful.

"I used to love sunsets" Damon said softly.

"You don't anymore?" Elena questioned.

Damon looked at her, trying to find a way to answer that. "I haven't watched one like this in a very long time" he finally answered sadly.

Elena nodded, she didn't need him to explain why.

* * *

><p>That night, a few hours after Elena and Damon said goodnight, there was a knock on the door.<p>

Damon answered it, it was Elena. "Hey"

"Hey, sorry to bother you so late but I just discovered that I'm infested with termites. Is there any chance I could sleep here while they get rid of them?" she asked.

"Are you sure that's not just an excuse to sleep over another night?" he teased, wiggling his eyebrows.

Elena chuckled. "I can show you the nest, they're huge"

Damon smiled. "No need, of course you can stay for a few days."

"Thank you so much" she said gratefully.

* * *

><p>Damon woke in the middle of the night to his phone ringing. He picked it up, who the hell was calling this late.<p>

On the caller ID it said: Private Number. That was weird. He answered. "Hello?"

"Is this Mr. Damon Salvatore?" a man on the other line said.

"Yes" he answered while stifling a yawn.

"We are calling to inform you that your father was released from prison yesterday"

Damon's eyes widened and his heart stopped.

**A/N: Haha, cliffhanger :P Sorry this chapter was so short, I promise that the majority of chapters will be long :)**


	3. Chapter 3: Trauma

**A/N: This chapter contains rape, don't like, don't read!**

"Sir? Are you there?" The man asked.

"What the hell do you mean he was released?!" Damon said angrily, trying not to let anyone hear as he paced his bedroom.

"The judge granted him early release" he explained.

"What?! Why?!" he asked, his body was shaking now.

"I cannot disclose that information sir, I'm sorry. I was only told to notify the next of kin about the release"

"HE KILLED MY MOTHER! IN WHAT WORLD DOES HE GET TO GO FREE?!" Damon screamed, not able to keep himself contained any longer as tears rolled down his face.

There was no answer, just a click as they hung up. Damon started to shake even harder as he collapsed to the floor in sobs.

Suddenly Elena walked in and gasped as she saw Damon. He was shaking so bad he was practically convulsing, and he was curled up into the fetal position as audible sobs wracked his body.

She rushed to his side and rested a hand on his shoulder.

"It's okay, Damon. It's just me" she said gently as he tensed at her touch.

He sat up and turned to face her, fear and sadness in his eyes.

"Damon, please...tell me what happened. This is eating you up inside, if you don't tell somebody it's going to consume you"

"Ever since I could remember, my father would beat me and my mother. My brother too, when he was about three" he started in a soft, vulnerable voice. "One night I heard a scream, which was nothing new. But something was telling me that this time was different. So I got out of bed..."

Damon took a deep breath. "Oh my god" he whimpered, letting a sob out before continuing.

"I got out of bed and went downstairs. I got halfway down the steps when I saw it...my father, standing over my bloodied dead mother with a knife. He saw me, and I tried to run but he caught my leg. We fought, the knife ended up slashing me across my left eye, hence the scar. I pushed my father down the stairs, and called 911. Then I got Stefan and brought him to my room and we waited until the cops came and took him away."

"Oh my goodness...Damon, I'm so sorry" Elena said and hugged him.

"You haven't even heard the best part yet" Damon said through sobs. "I just got a call. He was released from prison"

Elena pulled away and looked at him wide eyed. "What?! Why?!"

"That's what I said" he sighed and looked at Elena. "I'm scared, Elena. Scared he's going to find me and Stefan and hurt us, or worse"

Elena gently stroked his hair. "We will be okay, alright? We'll get through this" she promised.

Damon moved closer to Elena, wrapping his arms around her waist and burying his face in the crook of her neck, as if he was trying to disappear.

"Shh shh shh" Elena comforted him. "It'll be okay"

"Don't leave me" he mumbled.

"I won't. I promise" she said, and she did promise.

"I'm going to try and get some sleep" he said, pulling away and slowly going to his bed, laying down on his side.

He was surprised when Elena slipped in beside him. "Elena, you don't have to-"

"I want to. If my bastard of a father was coming back, there's no way I could sleep alone"

Damon nodded. "Thank you so much" he whispered before snuggling into her and falling asleep.

* * *

><p>The next morning when Elena woke up, she was alarmed to find Damon leaning over his nightstand, trembling.<p>

"Damon?" she asked carefully, getting up and slowly walking forward.

Damon slid his cell phone towards her, not saying anything. There were several messages from an unknown number. She picked it up and read them.

Unknown: I know this is you, you worthless coward. I'm coming to finish what I started. Don't think I don't know your new address.

Unknown: You and your brother are pathetic. But I'm not coming for Stefan. I'm coming for you, you motherfucker.

Unknown: Life would have been so much easier if you were never born. You were nothing but a pain in my ass. You're lucky I put your mother out of her misery.

Unknown: Nobody would ever love a piece of shit like you.

Unknown: I'll be seeing you within the hour, boy.

Elena's eyes filled with angry tears. She rested her hand on Damon's arm. He tensed for a few seconds before relaxing.

Suddenly there was furious banging coming from the door. She saw Damon's face, a look of pure terror.

"Stay here" she said in a shaky but determined voice. "I'll handle it"

"Elena, no" Damon started.

"Damon. I got this" she insisted and went downstairs.

She opened the door and swallowed. Yep, it was definitely his father. Time to be brave. "May I help you?"

"Don't give me that crap. Where's Damon?" he asked angrily.

"I don't know who you are talking about" she said, and he slapped her hard across the face.

Damon heard her scream from upstairs, and his fear instantly turned to anger and he stormed downstairs.

"Don't you dare hurt her! What do you want?" Damon shouted.

His father gave a sick grin before slapping Elena harder, knocking her out and then doing the same to Damon.

* * *

><p>Damon woke to a horrible headache. What happened? He gasped as he remembered. Looking around, his arms and legs were tied to the bed. Where was Elena?<p>

Suddenly his father came in. "Where is Elena?!" he demanded.

"Your girl is locked in the cellar. Don't worry, I'm not gonna hurt her. You, on the other hand" he grinned evily as he climbed on top of him and started undressing both himself and Damon.

Damon felt nauseated as his father forced himself on him. He hated how dirty and powerless he felt.

It was horrible, painful, and the worst part was that his father forced him to keep his eyes open the entire time.

"Help!" he cried. "Someone, please!"

"Keep quiet, you fugly, pathetic excuse for a man" he growled as he pushed himself inside of him, making Damon scream in pain.

* * *

><p>Stefan was just coming home from his girlfriend, Katherine's house when he heard Damon scream. He was about to run upstairs when he noticed another voice: his father's.<p>

He quietly went to the phone and called 911.

"Hello, my name is Stefan Salvatore, I live at 36 April Drive, I just walked into the house and I heard my brother screaming, along with a voice that I believe to be my father's, who I thought was in prison for murder but apparently not"

"We'll be right there" the woman on the other line said.

Stefan hung up and stifled his tears as he heard his brother crying in agony. He wished he could go up there, but he couldn't stop it.

Suddenly the sirens got closer and closer, and the police finally arrived.

They burst through the bedroom door. "Stand up and put your hands up!" they yelled.

My father growled and ran at one of the officers, but was stopped by a gunshot.

They untied Damon. "Where's Elena? Is she okay? What did the bastard do to her?!" he asked frantically.

"We did not see anyone else in the house" they said.

"Damon?!" Elena shouted, running up the stairs and into the bedroom with Stefan on her tail. "Oh my god" she whispered.

The sight was horrific. Damon lay bloodied and battered on the bed, completely naked. "Did he...?" she whispered, not even able to finish the thought.

Damon simply nodded, tears in his eyes. Elena's eyes traveled to his father on the floor. "Is he dead?"

The officer nodded.

"Good" she said before going up to Damon. She was about to hug him but he backed away and whimpered.

"Sorry" she said. "Officers, can we have a minute alone?"

"It would be against my better judgement to not receive medical care, especially for Damon"

Damon shook his head. "No" he said.

"Damon.." Elena started.

"I said no! I just want to be left alone!" he snapped.

The officer sighed and nodded in agreement, and soon everyone left.

* * *

><p>After about a half hour of begging Elena and Stefan to leave him alone for a while, they finally gave in and went down to start dinner.<p>

Damon got into the shower and vigorously started to scrub his skin, erasing any and all evidence of the torture he had endured.

After showering and changing into a pair of sweatpants and a hoodie, Damon changed the sheets, burning the others in the fireplace in his room.

When he was settled, he laid on his bed and put in his earbuds, letting the music come through from his ipod.

A while later, Elena knocked on his door.

"Come in" he said, taking his earbuds out.

"Dinner is ready" she said.

"Great, I'm starving" he said, getting off the bed.

"Damon..." Elena started.

"I'm not talking about it. I'm fine" Damon said.

"Damon, I saw you, you are not fine" Elena argued.

"I said I'm not talking about it!" he snapped and walked downstairs to the table.


	4. Chapter 4: Help

**A/N: I had SUCH a hard time with this chapter, but it's finally here! :)**

"Damn it" Elena muttered, tossing her cell phone, which she was just on for an hour, on the couch next to where she was sitting.

"What's wrong?" Damon asked as he walked in and flopped onto the couch. It has been a week since everything happened and he insisted on pretending everything was fine. Eventually Elena and Stefan gave up and left it alone.

"That was the termite control company. The damage is permanent, the wood on a low bearing wall is almost completely eaten through and I have to move out as I don't have the money to fix it" she rested her fingers on her temples.

"Didn't you just buy that house?" he asked.

"Yeah. They said everything was fine which obviously wasn't true, so, now it all rests on me. Add the fact that I have nowhere to go, and I'm screwed"

"No family?" he asked, surprised. He figured a girl like her would be close with her family.

She looked at him and he nodded. Her expression was all the answer he needed.

"You could come live here with me and Stefan" he suggested with a shrug.

Elena's eyes widened and she shook her head. "No, I couldn't impose on you like that.."

"It's fine, really. You're basically living here already anyways. Why not make it official?" he grinned.

She thought for a minute before grinning. "Thank you" she said.

"It's no problem" he reassured her.

"How are you feeling?" she asked, knowing she was treading dangerous waters by asking that.

Damon swallowed and his face hardened. "I'm fine" he said.

"You know I don't believe that, and neither does Stefan" Elena said gently.

"Fine, do you want to know how I feel? I feel humiliated, helpless, dirty, shameful, angry, afraid, alone, hopeless. I can't stop thinking about what happened, I can't concentrate, I can't trust anyone, and I cry all the time, I am so SICK of crying! Not to mention that now I have nightmares and flashbacks about that more than...the other thing. I can't even let people touch me in any way without flinching!"

Elena was about to put her arm on Damon's shoulder but thought better of it. "Damon, I think you should see a therapist about this..."

"So that's it?" he asked venomously, shocking Elena. "I tell you how this is making me feel, and you just want me to be someone else's problem?" he glared at her.

"No! T-That's not what I meant at all!" Elena exclaimed, moving closer to Damon. He backed away in response and she sighed. "I just meant that a professional might be able to give you tips on how to cope with it so you won't be crying all the time, or having flashbacks and nightmares, or even having trouble touching people. I will support you as much as I can, but a professional is the person that can help you conquer this. Please just consider it?"

Damon looked into her eyes, calming down a bit, and nodded. "I'll consider it"

A few days later, Stefan and Elena were playing video games- and Elena was winning- when Damon came downstairs.

"I'll be back in a while guys" he said with a wave.

"Wait, where are you going?" Elena asked, confused since he has barely left the house since it happened

"I'm taking your advice" he said after a minute.

Elena grinned. "Good for you" she said.

Damon grinned back and left.

* * *

><p>Damon swallowed as he walked up to the tall brick building. This was it, now or never, like they say.<p>

He walked in and went to the check-in desk. "Hi, I'm here to see Dr. Mikaelson"

"Name, please?" the woman asked while typing on her computer.

"Damon Salvatore" he said.

"Take a seat, he'll be out in a few minutes" she said with a smile.

Damon gave her an appreciative nod and sat down in the waiting room.

He exhaled deeply. He really hoped that this was the right choice. He trusted Elena and her opinion, but still it felt a bit uncomfortable talking about it with someone other than her.

"Damon Salvatore?" a voice pulled him out of his thoughts. He stood up. "Yes"

"My name is Elijah Mikaelson, but you can call me Elijah" he smiled and held his hand out, which Damon shook.

Elijah led Damon into his office and they sat. "So, Damon, tell me what brings you here?"

"Um...well, I...uh..." he sighed, he didn't know where to start.

"Why don't you just start from the very beginning, the root of your troubles?" Elijah suggested.

"The night before my eighteenth birthday, I heard my mom scream out in pain. It wasn't unusual in my house, though. My father would beat me, my mother and brother. But something in me was saying to go check it out, so I did. I got halfway downstairs and saw my mother, blood all around her, dead. And my father standing over her with a knife. He saw me, we struggled, he cut me on my eye, which is where I got the scar. Eventually I pushed him down the stairs and called 911, and they took him away. Flash forward three years, and I still get panic attacks, flashbacks and nightmares basically every night. Then I meet a new girl called Elena and we became friends. She comforted me when I had one of my nightmares, actually on more than one occasion. I trust her. And she is the only one that would even come near me after what happened. So then I get a call, my father has been released from prison. I ended up completely breaking down, worse than ever, and Elena was there, saying it would be okay. Then I got multiple messages from him, saying he was coming for me. The next morning, he comes over, whacks Elena and me out unconscious, locks her in the basement and ties me to the bed upstairs. He...he raped me, making me watch while he did. Luckily, my brother had come home in the meantime and called the police. When they came, my father went to attack them and they shot him, dead. After that, I...I had bad nightmares and flashbacks about both incidents, but more about the...the second one. And my panic attacks got worse too. I cry a lot, in private. I can't trust anyone, except Elena and of course my little brother, Stefan. But I feel humiliated, helpless, dirty, shameful, angry, afraid, alone, hopeless. I can't stop thinking about what happened, I can't concentrate, the worst part is I flinch or shy away when someone goes to touch me. Elena suggested I go to a therapist, at first I didn't want to, but then I figured that just trying to push through it hasn't been working so, why not?"

Damon exhaled deeply, he couldn't believe he had gotten through that whole story without breaking down or freaking out. He looked up at Elijah, expecting to see a look of pity or maybe disgust, but instead his gaze just held acceptance, understanding. It made the process a lot easier.

"When you experience these nightmares or panic attacks, how do you usually feel?" he asked.

"Well, for panic attacks, I usually get weak so I have to lean on something, I start to shake, I get short of breath, I have flashbacks. When I have nightmares, it doesn't matter if I wake up myself or if someone wakes me, usually I am confused, I shake, I sweat, I'm crying, I'm out of breath, and usually, but not all the time, I end up throwing up"

"Have you found anything that helps you calm down?" Elijah asked.

Damon shook his head. "I mean, sometimes Elena is able to calm me down, but I haven't been able to do it myself"

"In that case, the first thing I think would be good for you to work on is finding things that will help calm you down" Elijah said.

"Any suggestions?" Damon asked.

"Everyone is different. I would advise you to include Elena and Stefan in on this. I think they may be of good help, as they know you well"

Damon nodded. "Thank you"

Elijah grinned and nodded. "I'll see you this time next week?"

Damon nodded. "Yeah"


	5. Chapter 5: Step by Step

**A/N: Hey guys! Im so sorry that I don't update as often as I used to, to be honest I'm losing inspiration for this story. I want to finish it but don't know how :( Any suggestions would be helpful :)**

It had been a few weeks, and Damon was getting better.

After he had found things that could calm him down, Elijah had suggested getting back out into the world and working on touching, accidentally or on purpose, and interacting in general. At first it was hard, but after a few days it got a bit easier.

One day, there was a knock on the door.

"Are you expecting someone?" Damon asked.

Elena and Stefan both shook their heads. Damon shrugged and went to open the door.

A girl with brown, curly hair and brown eyes stood at the door, a smirk on her face. She wore a green strapless dress and red leather coat with red heels to match. "Is Elena here?" she asked, her tone flirty.

"What are you doing here, Katherine?" Elena asked in an unwelcoming tone.

"I wanted to see my twin sister" she said with a smile.

"We haven't spoken in five years. What the hell are you doing here?" she asked again.

Katherine rolled her eyes. "I heard you've been hanging around with the Salvatore boys, and I just had to see what ever happened to Guiseppe Salvatore's sons." she smirked.

Damon shivered at the mention of his name.

"You always were good looking" Katherine grinned at Damon and ran a finger down his jaw line.

"What are you talking about, Katherine? How do you know him, or his father for that matter?"

Katherine chuckled. "Please. Who do you think our mother was having an affair with?"

Elena's eyes widened as Katherine sauntered inside.

* * *

><p>"What do you mean, affair?" Damon asked.<p>

Katherine rolled her eyes. "You didn't honestly think your father went all Jack Torrence on your mother for no reason, did you?"

Damon swallowed at her mention of the memory.

"Elena and my mother and you and Stefan's father were in love. They wanted to be together forever. The only thing they had to do was get rid of your dear old mom. So he butchered her with a knife" Katherine finished.

Elena saw Damon's fists clench and walked over to him, resting her hand on his shoulder. "How do you know this?"

She went into her purse and pulled out a letter and started to read "My dearest Guiseppe, I love you and can't wait til the day that we are together without anything to worry about. I know this is a horrible deed, but it must be done in order for our love to survive. We will be together soon. Love, Miranda"

Katherine crumpled the note and tossed it back into her purse. Elena was blinking back tears. "N-No. That can't be true. Mom loved us and dad, she would never betray him for a guy like that"

"This still doesn't explain how you know" Damon said.

"I had my suspicions, the letter in the jewelry box she never let anyone touch confirmed it" she shrugged. "You can't tell me you don't remember us, Damon. All the times Miranda would bring us over to play, I knew you always had a thing for Elena. We were your two best friends, before Stefan was born. Elena and Katherine Gilbert" she tilted her head questioningly.

Damon nodded. "I do remember now. But then you just left, no goodbye or anything"

"Stop it! Just stop it, Katherine!" Elena shouted, in tears now. "I don't know what your game is, but I want no part in it!"

And with that, Elena ran upstairs. Damon gave Katherine a glare before following Elena.

* * *

><p>Elena was sobbing on the bed when Damon knocked on the door.<p>

She gasped and jumped in surprise, but relaxed when she realized it was him. "S-Sorry" she mumbled.

"No need to apologize. Do you wanna talk about it?" he asked.

Elena sighed. "We didn't just up and leave"

"What happened?" he asked after she didn't say any more.

"It was summer break. Me, my mom and dad, Katherine, and our little brother Jeremy were all going on vacation. We were crossing a bridge when we swerved and ran off the road, into the water. We drowned. Katherine was able to get out, but she could only save one of us in time. The water was too cold, there was no way we would all make it. So she saved me. We ended up going to live with family up in San Fransisco. After the accident, Katherine had changed. She had turned from a sweet girl into... a bitch, basically. I moved back home a week before I met you. I didn't know you were that Damon, and like Katherine so bluntly put it, it was before Stefan was born so I never knew..."

"Elena...I'm so sorry" Damon leaned over and hugged her. Elena hugged back, and Damon was surprised to find that that was okay with him.

"Damon, I know my sister. She's going to try to stir you up for her own amusement. You need to promise me you won't let her."

Damon nodded. "I promise"

* * *

><p>Katherine was waiting for Damon when he retreated to his room for the night.<p>

"What are you doing here, Katherine?" he asked.

"How do you know I'm not Elena?" she teased.

"Because you're too slutty" he said.

"Ouch. You know...I could give you what you're looking for"

"And what am I looking for?" he asked.

Katherine sauntered over to him and stroked her fingers down his chest, kissing his neck. "What Elena can never give you" she whispered.

"I'm not interested" he said, trying to stay calm.

"You will be" she winked and kissed him on the lips while undoing his shirt.

He pushed back, eyes filled with panic. "What are you doing?!"

"Playing hard to get. I like it" she said, walking up to him again and sliding her hand under his shirt.

"No, stop!" Damon said, starting to panic.

Suddenly Elena ran in. "Get out of here, Katherine!" she ordered after realizing what was happening.

Katherine rolled her eyes and walked out, and Elena was left with Damon, who was leaning over his nightstand, trying to catch his breath.


	6. Chapter 6: Road Trip

"Are you okay?" Elena asked, rushing over to Damon.

He nodded. "Give me a minute"

Elena nodded and waited for him to calm down, which surprisingly only took about a minute. He stood up straight and looked at Elena, he looked completely fine, he was even grinning a bit.

"Is she always like this?" he asked, his voice calm as if they were talking about the weather.

"She doesn't stop til she gets what she wants, yeah" Elena replied and nodded.

Elena and Damon stared at each other, taking in each others appearance. Damon's toned muscles could be seen through his unbuttoned shirt, and Elena was wearing a tight tank top which made her breasts look huge.

They started to lean into each other until their lips met. The kiss was hesitant at first as Elena didn't want to push, but as Damon deepened the kiss she realized it was fine and started kissing back.

It only lasted a few seconds before Damon pulled away.

"I'm sorry" Elena whispered. "I shouldn't have.."

"No" Damon shook his head. "I enjoyed it. It's just...if we're going to do this, I need to take it slow"

"Of course. You make the calls" Elena agreed.

Just then, Stefan walked up to the doorway. "Why didn't you guys tell me Katherine was here?"

"How do you know Katherine?" Damon and Elena asked at the same time.

"She's my girlfriend, the one I was telling you about" he explained.

"**That **Katherine is **your **Katherine?!" Damon asked incredulously.

Stefan nodded.

"No, no, no, you are **not **going to be with her. First off, she's twice your age, second, she's not a good person" Elena said.

"You can't tell me what to do, you're not my mom" Stefan shot back.

"She's right, Stef. She's way too old and she's bad news" Damon agreed.

Stefan rolled his eyes. "Whatever" he then left.

Elena and Damon looked at each other in shock.

* * *

><p>That night at dinner was very tense. Elena and Damon kept glancing at Katherine, who kept making flirty eyes at Damon, which didn't go unnoticed by Stefan, who was visibly hurt by it.<p>

"So, Katherine" Damon started, saying her name like it was a swear word. "How exactly did all this between my father and your mother go down, because Elena said that she died a few years before my mother, so obviously they didn't go through with their plan"

"Why do you wanna know? They are all **dead**. It doesn't matter anymore. Knowing the reason won't make any of them come back" she said harshly.

"For gods sake, Katherine, stop being a bitch and just tell us" Elena said, exasperated.

Katherine rolled her eyes. "Our family drowned, you know that part. Tell me, in the two years leading up to your mothers death, did your father start becoming more hostile? I mean, he was never a saint, that's for sure. But did the violence increase?"

Damon swallowed, not answering. Katherine chuckled. "After her death, he was crushed. He punished you, Stefan and your mother because Miranda should have been there, not you three"

"That's it, get out!" Elena shouted, standing up and pointing toward the door.

"How do you know that?" Damon shouted at the same time.

Katherine stood up and walked toward the front door, stopping at Damons side and stroking his jaw gently. "I don't need to know. It's obvious" she whispered. "Nice seeing you, 'Lena." she called over her shoulder before closing the door.

Damon stood up and walked upstairs without a word.

* * *

><p>After a while, Elena knocked on Damons door. "Come in" he called and she opened the door.<p>

"Hey. Are you okay?" she asked gently.

He sighed. "What do you think?"

"I think that my sister likes to rattle people that she has dirt on up and she does a good job of it" she said, walking over and laying next to him on the bed.

"That she does" he muttered.

Elena sighed. "Are you okay? she repeated.

He looked at her and gave a lopsided smile. "I'll be fine. It's shocking, more than anything else."

She chuckled. "You're telling me"

Elena shifted so she was closer to Damon and snuggled close, resting her head on his chest.

Damon grinned and wrapped his arms around her, kissing the top of her head.

* * *

><p>"Eleeeenaaaaa" Damon whispered in a sing songy voice.<p>

Elena groaned. "What time is it?"

"Five in the morning. Come on, we have to pack" he said, still in a whisper.

She sighed. "Whyyy?" she whined.

"Road trip" he said simply.

"At five in the morning? Where the heck are we going at five in the morning?"

"Just trust me and pack" he said.

Elena groaned again and got up reluctantly. "What about Stefan?"

"He's fourteen, he can stay home for a few days by himself" Damon shrugged.

"And you're not telling me where the heck we are going?"

"Nope" he replied, popping the 'p'.

* * *

><p>Once they were on the road, Elena was rummaging through Damons cassette tape collection. "You have got to update your cassette tape collection"<p>

"What's wrong with them?" he asked, glancing at them.

"Well, for one, who plays cassettes anymore?" she asked, dead serious.

There was silence for a minute before Damon spoke again. "It was, um, it was my moms collection."

"Oh my god, Damon, I'm sorry, I didn't know" Elena said, mentally slapping herself for being so stupid.

"It's fine, Elena. You're probably right, I could probably easily download all those songs onto my phone, it's just... I keep them for the memories" he explained.

She grinned. "That's awesome" she said honestly.

Damon chuckled. "I guess. Do you want to put one in?" he looked at her, his eyes hopeful.

She nodded. "Sure. How about The Beatles?"

He laughed. "You like The Beatles?"

"Hell yeah!" she exclaimed.

"Alright" he nodded and put the cassette in and Elena started singing to "Here Comes The Sun".

By the end of the song, she noticed a faraway expression in Damons eyes. "Damon?" she called to him.

Suddenly he snapped out of it. "Huh?"

"You zoned out" she reported.

"Sorry. That was my moms favorite song. Whenever she would cook, or was in the shower, or sometimes even when she tucked me in, she would sing it" he smiled at the memory.

Elena grinned as well. "So, are you going to tell me where we are going yet?"

Damon shook his head. "You'll see when we get there"

"Well when is that?" she asked.

Damon looked at her, grinned, and winked, not saying anything else.


	7. Chapter 7: Growing

Elena had fallen asleep about an hour into the trip. Damon couldn't help but cast glances at her and smile. She was so beautiful, especially when she slept.

About two hours later, Elena woke up and looked around. All she could see was hills, trees, and mountains for miles. "Where are we?" she asked groggily.

"Gatlinburg, Tennessee" Damon said, grinning. Elena smiled. "This is beautiful. Are we in the Smoky Mountains?"

"Yee-up" Damon confirmed.

"Where are we going that is in the Smoky Mountains?" she asked curiously, gazing at all the beautiful colors and scenery.

"Right here" he said as he turned a corner and stopped by a beautiful log cabin, the biggest that Elena has ever seen.

"Oh. My. God. This is amazing." she turned to look at the surroundings. There was a swing on a branch of a huge tree, a lake to the side of the cabin, which was more like a house, and greens, blues, purples, reds, yellows, and oranges for miles and miles of land, trees and mountains.

"Is this yours?" she asked, amazed.

"It was my mother's childhood lakehouse. I spent a lot of time here after..." he trailed off.

Elena nodded in understanding. "Tell me about her"

"You don't remember?" he asked, surprised.

Elena shook her head, embarrassed.

"She was amazing. Beautiful wavy golden blonde hair, blue eyes, and an absolutely contagious smile" he grinned as he remembered her.

"What was her name?" she asked.

"Cordelia. Cordelia Annabelle Salvatore." he said.

"Daughter of the sea, loving, savior" she said softly to herself.

"Hmm?" Damon looked at her confused.

"Cordelia means daughter of the sea, or jewel of the sea, Annabelle means loving in Latin, and Salvatore means savior" she clarified.

He grinned. "She certainly was all of those things. She loved the sea, any body of water in fact. That's why her family decided to get a lakehouse. How did you become so good at name meanings?"

Elena shrugged. "I just like to look up name origins and stuff"

Damon nodded. "Well, would you like to go in?"

"Yes, please" she said, smiling from ear to ear.

* * *

><p>The inside was even more beautiful than the outside, if that was possible.<p>

It was very elegant, but homey as well. Some walls were painted light colors, others were wood. There was a kitchen to the far left, a living room, a bedroom, and a staircase against the wall.

"This is...wow." Elena said, stunned.

Damon nodded and walked over to the corner of the living room and stroked the piano, which looked very old.

"Does it still play?" Elena asked.

Damon shrugged. "Want to try and see?" he grinned.

"I haven't played in so long..." she said.

"Just try" he insisted.

She nodded and went to sit down. "What should I play?"

"Anything"

She nodded and started to play "Blown Away" by Carrie Underwood. Soon she sang along.

"Dry lightning cracks across the sky, those storm clouds gathered in her eyes. Her daddy was a mean ol' mister, mama was an angel in the ground. The weatherman called for a twister, she prayed, blow it down. There's not enough rain in Oklahoma to wash the sins out of that house. There's not enough wind in Oklahoma to rip the nails out of the past. Shatter every window til it's all blown away..."

As she started the chorus, Damon started to drift into thought. The song reminded him of his childhood, parts that he'd rather forget. But it was also a song about hope, and moving on, leaving the past behind.

He must have been zoned out for a while because he heard Elena call his name. "Huh?" he looked at her, snapping out of it.

"You weren't listening, were you?" she grinned softly.

"No, no, I was, it's just...the song reminded me of..." he trailed off.

Elena was confused, but then she put the pieces together and realized. "Damon, I didn't mean to-"

"I know you didn't" he interrupted. "It's okay. It was a long time ago"

Suddenly Elena's stomach started to growl. She chuckled. "Any chance you have some food in the kitchen that isn't ages old?"

"I think we might have to order pizza or something tonight and go shopping tomorrow" Damon said apologetically.

Elena nodded. "Okay"

* * *

><p>After they finished off an entire box of pizza, they cuddled on the couch and watched Titanic. Elena's choice, apparently it was her favorite movie.<p>

"How can you watch this after what happened to you and your family?" Damon asked during the scene where Rose and Jack were in the water freezing to death.

A painful look crossed Elena's face and Damon instantly felt guilty. "Elena, I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking"

"No. It's okay" she said, though her voice wavered a little. "I try not to let what happened stop me from doing something"

Damon looked at her in awe. "Wow. You're pretty incredible, you know that?"

Elena blushed and smiled.

"I hope maybe someday I can do that... not let my past affect my present, I mean" he said softly.

"You already have, Damon" Elena said, resting her hand on his cheek, making him turn to look at her before she continued. "You are so much different than the closed off man that I met a few months ago. I mean, think about it. A few months ago, would you have even considered engaging in a romantic relationship, or coming to your mothers lakehouse, or even gone to therapy? And not to mention the way you handled Katherine better than I did"

They both chuckled at the last part.

Damon smiled. She was right, he had changed, matured. He caressed Elena's face in his hands and kissed her gently. "I couldn't have done it if you hadn't come into my life. So thank you"

Elena nodded and smiled. "You're welcome"

**A/N: So, I'm deciding that this story will be long, I don't know how long but probably longer than my other stories. I'm so happy with the popularity of this story and I want to thank everyone for sticking with it! :) I'll update soon!**


	8. Chapter 8: Missing

**A/N: Hey Guys! Can you believe tonights episode? Delena is back in action! I'm sorry I haven't updated in so long but I've been busy. I'm going for a mini vacation to a hotel overnight tomorrow so I'm not gonna be able to write so I figured I'd give you all a little something now! Enjoy :)**

"Hey! Quit it!" Elena squealed and giggled as Damon chased her around the house. He finally caught her and spun her around before setting her down and kissing her. They had been there for three days and were having an amazing time. Picnics, watching the sunset, cuddling, and just enjoying each other. At this particular moment, Elena had started a tickle fight which had morphed into a game of 'catch me'.

"Gotcha" he said with a smirk.

Elena smiled. "I love you" she said before she could stop herself. Her eyes widened and she blushed heavily.

Damon grinned. "I love you too"

Elena looked up at him, surprised. "Really?"

He nodded. "Do you want to swim?" he asked suddenly.

Elena looked a bit taken aback by his random question. Damon frowned. "Did I say something?"

"No, no it's just...I haven't been swimming since the accident. I mean, I'm not afraid of water, not anymore, but it just...has bad memories attatched to it, you know?"

Damon nodded. He knew exactly what she meant. It had been why he and Stefan moved a few months after their mothers death. It was just too painful to be there.

Elena walked over to the window overlooking the lake. "I want to try" she said suddenly.

"Are you sure?" he asked, surprised.

She nodded. "I'm sure"

* * *

><p>After putting their bathing suits on, they went to the lake. Elena stood at the side, her toes curling and uncurling beneath her in anxiousness.<p>

Damon held her hand. "I'm right here" he assured her. She grinned. "Thanks"

She took a deep breath and slowly stepped one foot into the lukewarm water.

"You okay?" Damon asked.

Elena nodded and smiled. "Yeah. I am" she slowly started going deeper and deeper into the water. Suddenly she stopped and walked back over to Damon.

"What's wrong?" he asked, worried.

Elena shook her head. "Nothing. I want to jump in"

Damon looked uncertain. "Elena, is that a good idea? You don't want to startle yourself"

"Then jump with me" she said, holding out her hand for him to take, wiggling her fingers.

He grinned and took her hand and they walked to the end of the pier.

"Ready?" she asked and he nodded. "One... two... three"

After the number three they both jumped in. At first, the sensation of holding her breath and being underwater made Elena panic a little, and her grip on Damon's hand tightened. But as soon as she felt him squeeze back, she was fine.

As they came to the top for air, Elena smiled. "That was amazing." she said.

Damon looked at her in awe, making her blush. "What?" she asked.

"You're just...amazing" he said and kissed her.

Elena grinned. "You said you used to come here as a kid?"

He nodded. "Me, my mom and Stefan. My dad, on the other hand, didn't..." He trailed off, his expression becoming bitter.

"Hey" Elena said gently, resting her hand on his cheek. "It's okay"

Damon nodded and gave her a small grin. "My father would rather have spent his days drinking than spend time with any of us" he finished.

"I'm sorry" she said gently before hugging him.

He nodded and hugged back. After a minute they seperated and spent the next hour splashing each other and jumping off the pier, sometimes doing flips as they did.

* * *

><p>The next day, they decided it was time to go home. Hours later, they walked through the door. Everything was pitch black.<p>

"Stefan?" Elena called out. No answer.

"Stef?" Damon tried. Still no answer. They flipped the light on and saw a note on the table. Damon rushed over to read it. Suddenly his whole face became pale and he swallowed.

"Damon?" Elena asked cautiously. "What is it?"

He handed the note to Elena and she read it aloud. "Dear Damon and Elena, since you two went off on a little honeymoon by yourselves, leaving poor Stefan all alone, I figured I'd take him on an adventure of our own. Who knows what could happen. See you soon. Or not. Love, K"

"Who knows what she's done" Damon whispered.

"She wouldn't hurt him. She may be a psychotic bitch, but she wouldn't go that far" Elena said.

"You seem to be forgetting the time that she forced herself on me. She wants what she wants and she'll do anything to get it" he snapped.

Elena's eyes widened as tears filled them. "This is my fault." she whispered.

"What? No. No, it's not" Damon said, walking over to her and resting his hand on her shoulder.

Elena shook her head. "If I hadn't interfered with your lives, Katherine would have no reason to be doing this, any of this"

"Elena, listen to me" Damon said softly, lifting her chin so she was looking at him. "Stefan and Katherine were together before I even met you. So even if you stayed far away from me, this still could have happened. But you know what would have been different? I would be dealing with it alone. I would probably be a mess right now, but I'm not. You know why? Because of you. You made me better. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you."

Elena grinned softly and leaned up to kiss him. "Why don't you try calling Stefan?"

Damon nodded. "Good idea"

He dialed Stefan's number and it picked up. "Hello?" Stefan's voice said from the other line.

"Stefan?" Damon asked in a worried tone.

"Damon, I'm fine, and I don't want to come home. I want to stay here with Katherine"

"Where is here?" Damon asked.

"Goodbye, Damon" Stefan said and the line clicked off.

Damon shut the phone off and sighed deeply. "Damn it" he muttered.

"Damon?" Elena looked at him, worried.

He growled and threw the phone at the wall.

"Damon!" Elena exclaimed and walked up to him, turning him to face her and rested her hands on his cheeks. "Listen to me, okay? We will get through this together. We'll find them. Everything will be okay. Trust me."

He sighed, closing his eyes as a single tear fell down his cheek. "He's my brother, Elena. He's the only family I have left. I can't lose him"

"I know, and you won't. I promise you, it will be okay." Elena said in a determined tone.

Damon nodded and suddenly hugged her tightly to him, nuzzling her neck in comfort. "I'm so glad I have you" he mumbled.

Elena grinned as she hugged back. "Me too"

**A/N: Annnd that's it for now! The next chapter will be about finding Stefan, and of course, more Delena goodness :)**


	9. Chapter 9: Stronger

"Any luck?" Damon asked, walking into the living room with a glass of bourbon in his hand. It had been almost a week and they had no clue where Stefan was.

"Nope, neither of them are picking up. I have an idea" Elena replied. She stood up and ran upstairs. She picked up her laptop and rushed back downstairs, flopping back onto the couch. She opened the laptop and started typing furiously.

Damon looked confused. "What are you doing?"

"Hacking into Stefan's phone, trying to get a GPS signal" she said casually.

Damon raised a brow. "You're a hacker?" he asked, sounding impressed.

"**Reformed** hacker" Elena corrected, shooting him a look.

"Hmm, used to hang out with the wrong crowd?" Damon asked, a smirk on his face.

Elena rolled her eyes. "Do you want me to do this or not?"

He put his hands up in surrender.

"2021 Sherry Hill Drive" Elena announced. They both got up and grabbed their jackets before walking to the car.

It wasn't that far away, in fact they made it there in five minutes.

"It's a house?" Damon asked, surprised.

"What were you expecting, an old abandoned building with guard dogs in front?" Elena replied sarcastically.

"You tell me, you're the one with the psycho sister" Damon shot back with a small grin.

"You got me there" Elena agreed before knocking on the door.

Surprisingly, Stefan opened the door. "How did you guys find me?" he asked.

"Don't ask. Where have you been? And where is Katherine?" Elena asked.

"This is Katherine's house, I mean, I think it is. And I have no idea where Katherine went. She told me what happened the night our mom died, and all about the affair, she told me everything. But then she just left, she gave me 200 dollars and said she would be back soon" Stefan explained.

"How does she know about all that?" Damon asked, more to himself than anyone else.

"Katherine knows everything. She knows peoples darkest secrets, and she has friends on the inside that help her. At least that is what she told me" Stefan said and shrugged.

"Where the hell did she get 200 dollars?" Elena asked.

Stefan shrugged again. "She's going to be back, I know it. And I'm gonna wait for her"

"No, you're not" Elena and Damon said at the same time.

"Stefan, she's not going to come back. Do you really think she would give you that kind of money if she was just going to 'be back soon'?" Elena asked, using air quotes.

Stefan didn't answer, he knew she had a point.

"Katherine runs, she has her whole life. She doesn't look out for anyone but herself" Elena continued.

"Why would she just leave me here then? Why wouldn't she bring me back?" Stefan asked, his eyes starting to glisten with tears.

"I don't know" Elena replied honestly, her voice softer than before.

Stefan nodded. "I'm sorry" he looked from Elena to Damon.

"We're just glad you are okay" Damon said.

"Lets go home, shall we?" Elena offered.

Stefan nodded and they all walked to the car.

* * *

><p>The next morning, Elena woke up to Damon's ice blue eyes staring at her. She smiled. "Hey"<p>

"Hey back" Damon said, grinning. "How did you sleep?"

"Pretty good, you?" she asked.

"Good. Still worried about Stefan, he hasn't spoken much since we've gotten him back home"

"Well, he cared about Katherine a lot, and to find out she didn't is a hard pill to swallow. Give him some time" Elena reasoned.

Damon nodded. "Elena, can you do something for me?"

"Of course, anything"

He swallowed and took a deep breath. "I want to go back to my old house."

Elena looked shocked. "Why?"

"You were able to swim again, I know it wasn't where the drowning occurred, but it was still water and you were able to face it. I want to try to do the same. And I would like you to be with me." he looked at her hopefully.

Elena nodded. "Okay"

* * *

><p>"This is it" Damon said and Elena pulled up to a red house with a brown door.<p>

"Wow. I would have expected it to be more...abandoned" Elena admitted.

"We only moved out seven months ago" Damon pointed out. Elena nodded in agreement.

They walked up and Damon took out a key, holding it in his hand and staring at it for a minute before unlocking it.

"Why hasn't anyone bought it?" Elena asked.

"No one wanted to. They all knew the story behind it." Damon said as he walked slowly inside. His breath hitched as he stopped at the staircase. "This is it. This is where it happened" he whispered, his voice so low that Elena barely heard it.

Elena walked over to him and rested her hand on his arm. "Are you alright?"

Damon didn't answer, his mind was focused on the huge dark spot on the wood floor.

Elena followed his gaze and it clicked what it was: a blood stain. "Damon" she called him, trying to get him to take his eyes off of it and onto her.

He finally looked at her, and it broke her heart. His eyes were filled with unshed tears and his face held such pain.

She wrapped her arms around him and it didn't take long until his arms wrapped around her waist and he buried his face in her neck, shaking with sobs.

Elena wondered if this was the first time Damon let himself grieve over his mother. With having to look after a young Stefan, had he ever put time aside for himself?

"She was all I had, Elena" Damon mumbled through sobs, his voice making a soft vibrating sensation on her neck. "The only one who ever took care of me, protected me. And in just one moment, she was gone."

Elena held him and rubbed his back. "Shh, I know" she soothed, holding him. "I know"

Damon let out a sigh before kissing her neck and leaning up to look at her. Her gaze always held such compassion and love and understanding, and this time was no different. It was one of the many things he loved about her. She made him feel safe and cared for.

"Are you alright?" Elena asked, wiping his tears and caressing his cheek.

Damon nodded. "I just never let myself cry or grieve over it. I needed to be strong for Stefan. It's just hard holding it in all the time"

"You don't have to hold it in anymore. You have me, you both have me. You don't have to be strong all the time anymore. Let me be strong for you." Elena looked into his eyes. He didn't respond, but she knew he understood her words.

"If it's okay with you, there's still one more place in the house I still want to go" Damon said, recomposing himself.

Elena nodded. "Of course"

He slipped his hand into hers and they both walked upstairs to the end of the hall. He twisted the knob and the door opened to reveal a bedroom. There was pale blue wallpaper with flower print, a vanity next to the window, a wooden dresser across the room, and a bed with white blankets and pillows with two wooden nightstands on either side.

Damon grinned slightly as he walked around the room, trailing his hand gently along the furniture.

"Was this your parents room?" Elena asked.

Damon shook his head. "Just my mothers. My father slept on the couch most of the time" he explained.

Elena nodded. "It's beautiful."

"It is" Damon agreed, a grin on his face. Elena grinned, she was so proud of Damon, of the man she had watched him become. He must have noticed her expression because he said "Do I have something on my face or something?"

She looked at him, he was looking at her with an amused look. She shook her head. "No, it's just... I think your mom would be proud of who you've become these past few months. I know I am."

Damon smiled and walked over to her. "Thank you. You don't know how much that means to me to hear you say that"

Elena nodded and smiled. Suddenly something caught her eye. "What's this?" she asked, walking over to an old radio.

"Oh, that. That is the radio that my mother would always have playing, no matter what she was doing. She would bring it everywhere and just plug it in and listen. Sometimes she would call me over to dance with her" he grinned at the memory.

Elena opened a drawer and saw a bunch of CD's. There was everything from Destiny's Child to The Beatles to Pink. Suddenly she had an idea. "What was the one you danced to the most?" she asked.

"To be honest? 'Glitter In The Air' by Pink" he answered.

Elena rummaged through the CD's until she found the album and when she found it she put it in and clicked buttons until she found the song. She held her hand out. "May I have this dance?"

He chuckled and took her hand. "I would be honored"

They walked to the middle of the room as the piano started to play and started waltzing to the music.

**Have you ever fed a lover with just your hands?**

**Closed your eyes and trusted, just trusted?**

**Have you ever thrown a fistful of glitter in the air?**

**Have you ever looked fear in the face and said "I just don't care"...**

The dancing was intense but fun at the same time. Their gazes never left each other the whole time, and they danced in tune so easily, never messing up or missing a beat.

**Have you ever felt this way?...**

* * *

><p>Damon was amazed at how Elena made him feel. Like nothing else mattered, like he could do anything. She had changed him from a wounded soul that had isolated himself to a strong, happy, sociable man, like he used to be all those years ago. He trusted her with his life, and she knew that she did too. She was the one, he knew, which was how he knew that he was ready. Ready to take their relationship to the next level.<p>

"Elena?" he spoke as they were laying in bed cuddling.

"Mhm?" she replied.

"I've been thinking...and I think I'm ready. To take our relationship further, I mean. Only if you want to, of course"

She looked up at him. "Are you sure? I don't want you to do something you will regret. Neither of us know how you will react" she said, and he knew she was speaking from experience, since she had said before that she used to have problems with water after the accident.

"I know. But I want to try. And I want to try with you, only you. There is no one else I would ever want to give myself to like that. I trust you and I love you" he looked into her eyes.

She nodded. "If you feel uncomfortable at all, tell me to stop."

He nodded in agreement and they began kissing, passionately and intensely. Their bodies melded together as they shed their clothes and gently pleased each other. Neither of them had ever felt such ecstasy, and soon they both climaxed.

Elena smiled, catching her breath as she looked at Damon, who was smiling as well.

"How was it?" Elena asked, though she already knew the answer.

"Amazing" Damon answered and kissed the tip of her nose.

Elena nodded. "Same here"

Soon both of them drifted off to sleep in each others arms.


	10. Chapter 10: Epilogue

It had been a few weeks since they first made love to each other, and their love only got deeper and more intense with every passing second.

They walked through the grass of the cemetery, it was the anniversary of Damon's mothers death, and they decided to visit, plus they had good news to share.

"Hey mom" Damon said, smiling down at the headstone. "I'm sorry I haven't been to visit lately. I have someone I want you to meet"

He looked at Elena, who walked over and entwined her fingers with his. "This is Elena, my girlfriend. And this is our daughter" he rested a hand on Elena's stomach. "Emily Victoria Salvatore"

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Salvatore" Elena said, as if she was standing right there.

* * *

><p>After visiting the cemetery, Damon took Elena out to an early lunch at his favorite Italian restaurant.<p>

Elena got fettuccine Alfredo and Damon got chicken Parmesan. The food was excellent.

They chatted the whole time about random things, just normal conversation, which was why it caught Elena off guard when Damon became serious and said he needed to ask her something.

"Sure, you can tell me anything" she told him.

He got up and got down on one knee, pulling out a ring. "Elena Gilbert, I love you more than anything, you already know that. When I first met you, I never thought that anyone, especially someone as perfect as you, would ever give me the time of day. I was alone, isolated, and damaged. But you were there for me when no one else was. You brought me back to life, something I thought no one could do. And before long, we became friends, then more than friends. You are so wonderfully kind, compassionate and caring to everyone you meet, and that is only a few of the things I love about you. I want you in my life forever. Will you marry me?"

Elena was smiling as tears came down her face. "Yes" she whispered and nodded. Damon smiled and slipped the ring on her finger before standing and pulling her into a kiss.

* * *

><p><strong>5 years later<strong>

"Daddy?" a small voice called to him. Four-and-a-half year old Emily waddled over to her father, sucking her thumb, something she always did when she was sleepy.

"Hey monkey. Why aren't you in bed?" Damon asked softly.

Emily climbed into his lap and snuggled close. "Can't sleep" she mumbled. "Will you tell me a story?"

"What story would you like me to tell you?" Damon asked, as there were so many.

"Tell me how you and mommy met" she looked at him with her big blue eyes, a small smile on her face.

Damon grinned. She always chose that one. "A few years back, I was a very different person. I had nightmares of something bad that had happened to me, and I never talked about it. Everyone knew about what had happened, and they all stayed away from me"

"Why?" she asked.

"Well, sometimes people stay away from people who are different, because they don't understand. Anyways, one day when I was at work, I walked by a new girl that had just started. I figured she would do what the others did, so I didn't even say hi. But then she called after me, and we got to talking."

"Tell me what she said" Emily requested. It was always her favorite part. She was a hopeless romantic already.

"She said 'You know, most people say hello. But I get the feeling you're not most people, are you?'. We talked for a few minutes and I invited her over to dinner. Eventually she found out about what happened to me and I thought she would run, because that's what everyone else did. But she didn't. She stayed, and she helped me get through it. And now, here we are, almost six years later" he finished.

Emily grinned. "Daddy?"

"Yes, my little monkey?" he replied.

"What was the bad thing that happened to you?" she looked at him, concern in her eyes.

The question surprised him. He had never told her the whole story before, since it was too violent, and she had never asked about it. "That's a story for when you're older, okay?"

Emily pouted. "No, tell me, pleeeease?"

"It's time for bed, little monkey" Damon said.

"Fiiiine" Emily gave up, knowing she wouldn't get anywhere. "Uncle Steffy is coming home from college tomorrow, right?"

"That's right, so you better get a good sleep so you're not too tired to see him" Damon replied.

Emily kissed Damon's cheek and ran up to bed.

As soon as she was gone, Elena came in and sat by Damon, kissing him. "She wanted to know what happened?"

"Mmm. You know we can't keep it from her forever. Sooner or later, she will want to know where her grandparents are, and neither of our answers will be very pretty" Damon said.

Elena sighed. "I know. But we can deal with that when that day comes. For now lets just enjoy that our little girl is still our little girl. No doom and gloom to carry around. Just a happy, carefree girl"

Damon nodded and kissed her again before they went upstairs to bed.

**A/N: That's it! I hope you liked the story :) Review and tell me how you like how it ended.**


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